Continuing
on from Part 1, here we count down the Top 5 animated Batman movies of all
time. Will my picks match up with yours? Read on an find out!
5) Batman and Mr. Freeze: Subzero
"Come
on people! A guy in a weird suit with two polar bears can’t be too hard to spot!" - Commissioner Gordon
My favorite trivia
about Subzero is that Warner pushed
back the release date to distance it from the disaster that was the campy
live-action Batman & Robin, a
movie so bad, it put the Batman movie franchise in hibernation for nearly a
decade. It was intended as a home video tie-in, but to avoid further
embarrassment that the cartoon Batman took itself more seriously than the big
budget bomb, it got delayed. Although the second animated Batman movie didn’t
surpass its predecessor (Mask of the
Phantasm), it’s still a worthy addition to the animated Bat library and
lives up to the standard set by the series it’s based on. Batman: The Animated
Series redefined Mr. Freeze with a sympathetic backstory, painting him as a
tragic villain, and Subzero advances
his story about a scientist determined to save his ailing wife by any means
necessary, even if it means taking an innocent life. Freeze’s co-headlining is
well earned, as this is primarily his story. Batman’s partners, Robin and Batgirl,
have their share of screen time as well, with a budding romance sparking out of
costume (Dick and Barbara are unaware of each other’s secret identities at this
point). Having a bigger budget to work with, many of the vehicles are computer
generated, but the CGI here doesn’t always blend seamlessly with the 2D
animation. It doesn’t distract from the story but it does date it a bit.
However, the runtime is a bit on the short side compared to other home video
releases, and would have benefited from more breathing room to incorporate more
character development for Freeze. Anyone who’s seen the classic episode “Heart
of Ice” already knows about his wife Nora and Freeze’s mission to save her, but
the movie could have used some flashbacks to fill in more backstory about their
relationship prior to that. Freeze’s crooked colleague, Dr. Belson, could have
used a little backstory to tie him into Freeze’s past as well. As it stands, Subzero is worth adding to your Batman
collection, but I would have traded the CGI for more story, which would have
added depth and making it feel more like a movie than a two-part episode.
Batman:
Kevin Conroy
Heroes:
Robin (Dick Grayson), Batgirl, Commissioner Jim Gordon
Villains:
Mr. Freeze
4) Batman: Under the Red Hood
“I’m cleaning up Gotham. More than you ever did.” – Red Hood
The comic
arc, Under the Red Hood, was
perfectly suited to be turned into a movie. What I love best about it is it's a
Batman movie made for Bat fans. Too often, superhero movies feel the need to
start at the beginning, rehashing the origin in order not to alienate casual
fans who have a basic understanding of the characters but aren't caught up to
speed with how they've developed over the years. Red Hood keeps Batman’s continuity intact, managing to tell its
story while also weaving in elements from classic stories like Death in the Family and The Killing Joke. Writer Judd Winick
does an excellent job of adapting his own work onto the screen, and knows what
needs to be cut in order to keep the story moving along at a good pace. This is
a prime example of how a comic story should be adapted where making those cuts
actually makes the end result stronger. Just like all the best Batman stories,
this one involves a mystery at its core – who is the Red Hood? The story
doesn’t leave a lot of room for speculation as to who the Red Hood is but while
the revelation rubs a lot of fans the wrong way, it does pack an emotional
punch. Bruce Greenwood brings a seasoned maturity to Batman and almost makes me
forget about Conroy, as he’s one of the best actors to portray the dark knight
in animation. The Joker factors in to
the plot, bringing the events that catapulted this storyline full circle.
Voiced by John DiMaggio (aka Futurama’s
Bender), this is one of my favorite interpretations of Joker yet. It’s a bit of
an amalgam of Mark Hamill’s iconic take with a dash of Heath Ledger mixed in.
Now that Hamill has supposedly retired from the role, I wouldn’t mind DiMaggio
voicing Joker on a more regular basis with future projects. He brings a dark
humorous edge to the role that Hamill perfected. The other major villain
featured is Black Mask. The way he’s been portrayed here is one of the movie’s
drawbacks as he just comes off as a raging hothead when the way he’s portrayed
in the comics is cold and calculating. In the comics I always imagined his
voice sounding similar to the way Jeffrey Combs portrayed The Scarecrow in the New Adventures of Batman series, which
was menacing because it was devoid of emotion. When I first heard Black Mask’s
voice in The Batman series, I was
pretty disappointed with the way he was depicted and hoped future versions
would tone him down a bit but if anything, they’ve taken it up a notch with his
outbursts. It doesn’t ruin the movie, but if the movie has a weak link, this is
it. Overall, the direction is top notch, with thrilling action scenes balanced
with great character moments. It is a solid entry into the animated Batman
library and set a new bar for all future releases.
Batman: Bruce Greenwood
Heroes: Nightwing, Robin (Jason Todd)
Villains: Red Hood, Joker, Black Mask, Ra’s Al Ghul,
Riddler, Amazo
3) Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
“In all the years to come, in your most private moments, I
want you to remember the one man who beat you!”
- Batman
While I said before
that Year One, while essential to the
Batman mythos, was a tad overrated, to me Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns is one of the greatest Batman stories ever
told. It does receive more credit than it deserves in regards to bringing Batman
back to his dark roots, but it has had an undeniable lasting impact on future
Batman scribes who have cited DKR as their one of their biggest inspirations
and will serve as a major influence on the upcoming Zach Snyder movie featuring
Batfleck.
But enough about its reputation, how does the movie stack up to the rest? As
far as adapting classic DC properties, this one nails it. This is the best
comic-to-screen DCU offering since Justice
League: The New Frontier in that it feels like a complete story and not
just focusing on the major beats. They were able to accomplish this by
splitting it up over two releases and leaving very little on the cutting room
floor. If they had treated it the way they did the Death of Superman story in Superman: Doomsday, they most likely
would have condensed all of the Two-Face and mutant gang stuff and just focused
solely on the showdowns with Joker and Superman, but by allowing the time and
care to do it right, it feels more lived in, taking the viewer on a journey. I
still remember the classic
animated episode, “Legends of the Dark Knight,” where they portray different
variations of Batman and one of them was a snippet of DKR and at the time I
thought, “how cool would it be if they made that into a movie?” It took a few
years, but it was worth the wait. Peter Weller (Robocop) is perfectly cast as the grizzled caped crusader coming
out of retirement. It was a smart choice because as much as Kevin Conroy’s
older interpretation of Bruce works for Batman
Beyond, Weller captures Miller’s Batman spot on. I enjoyed Michael Emerson
as a villain on Lost, and the guy can
play creepy, but he’s far from my favorite Joker. He’s not bad, he just doesn’t
steal scenes the way Joker should. While I think the DCU movies need to ease up
on adaptations and focus more on original content, if all future adaptations
are treated with this kind of respect, that’ll be a major step in the right
direction.
Batman: Peter Weller
Heroes: Robin (Carrie Kelley), Catwoman, Commissioner
Gordon, Superman
Villains: Joker, Mutant Leader, Two-Face, Superman
2) Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
“If you don’t like the movie, I’ve got slides”
– The Joker
While it may not be
Bruce Wayne under the cowl, Batman
Beyond: Return of the Joker is a Batman movie through and through. Many,
like myself, scoffed at the idea of a teenage Batman, but who knew it would turn
out this good. Or dark. This is by far the bleakest Batman movie on the list, with
the flashback sequence alone earning it that label. If Batman Beyond was a completely separate entity from the original
animated series, it wouldn’t resonate with me as much, but this is a direct
continuation of the series, giving fans a look at what becomes of Bruce after
retiring from his vigilante days, and that’s what really drives it. Return of the Joker fills in more gaps,
especially in regards to Batman’s archenemy. One of the biggest questions
jumping forward in time was, “what happened to The Joker?” and this movie sets
out to answer that. The answer is both shocking and satisfactory. Mark Hamill
is back in the role he was born to play and although this version of Joker is a
little more toned down than usual, he’s still just as menacing as ever. The
Batman of this series, Terry McGinnis, at this point had carved out his own
path as Batman, but it’s with this movie that he takes the next step of not
simply filling Bruce’s shoes, but really honoring the legacy of the Batman. It’s
not really fair to compare Will Friedle’s Batman to Kevin Conroy as he’s not
voicing the same character, and because Conroy reprises his role as Bruce
Wayne, we don’t have to. Bruce’s former partners, Barbara Gordon and Tim Drake,
factor into the plot, keeping the supporting cast in the Bat family. In
addition to building a new mythology, the series had always touched on elements
from Bruce’s past before, but when it came to crafting a movie, the creative
team knew they would have to dig deeper to make it feel worthy of a movie, and
the scope of this does feel big. It’s a shame that we have yet to receive
another Batman Beyond movie as this
proved to be a major achievement and there are clearly many more stories to be
told. I’ve still got my Batman Beyond
spec script on file, so what are you waiting for WB, let’s fast track it!
Batman: Will Friedle
Heroes: Bruce Wayne, Commissioner Barbara Gordon, Batgirl,
Robin
Villains: The Joker, Harley Quinn, The Jokerz gang
1) Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
“Your
angel of death awaits.” – The
Phantasm
The benchmark. The first full length
animated Batman movie and so far only one that’s ever been released
theatrically. Therefore the one every subsequent movie is compared to. Not only
is Mask of the Phantasm the best
animated Batman movie ever made, it’s arguably the best Batman movie of all
time. It’s got all the elements that make for a good Batman story - mysterious
plot, intriguing villains, tragic love, and if that’s not enough, it’s got The
Joker piloting a jet pack. Spinning out of the best animated superhero show
ever (no debate), Phantasm benefited
from a dream creative team at the top of their game. The episodes of the show
have been described as “mini-movies,” bringing a size and scope to the small
screen unrivaled in animated programming at that time, and Phantasm builds on
that model, allowing for a little more breathing room to include some fantastic
flashbacks that not only provides additional insight into Bruce’s decision to
don the cape and cowl, but also ties in directly to the main plot in a
completely satisfying way. Others have come close, but no Batman movie since
has matched the pathos on display here. And did I mention The Joker was in this?
Yeah, he appears in half these movies, but I don’t think he’s utilized better
than he is here (Return of the Joker
being a very close second). The way he ties into the plot is one of the movie’s
major highlights and Mark Hamill is at his manic best, the perfect balancing
act between scary and funny. The story’s primary antagonist, the Phantasm
(loosely based on The Reaper from Year
Two), fits perfectly into Batman’s world and the mystery surrounding the
foe’s motivation makes for a cool twist. It really doesn’t get much better than
this, and in my eyes, it has yet to. If you’re a Batman fan and haven’t seen
this, stop reading, do yourself a favor and go watch this now.
Batman:
Kevin Conroy
Villains:
The Phantasm, Joker
There you have it. I
don’t claim this to be the definitive list, but that’s how I rank them. It’s
worth noting that the Joker appears prominently in 5 of the 10 movies and that
out of those, 4 ended up in my Top 5. Does Joker instantly increase the quality
of any Batman story, or is it just a coincidence? Either way, it doesn’t seem
to hurt.
As much as I enjoyed
comic-to-screen adaptations of The Dark
Knight Returns and Under the Red Hood,
it would be nice if the direct to video line of DC Universe Animated Original
Movies would live up to their name and actually be fully original content as
opposed to just adapting the most popular DC comic stories. I’m sure it’s only
just a matter of time before they adapt such classics as The Long Halloween, Knightfall,
Hush and the more recent Court of Owls story lines, and while
those are all fantastic tales of the dark knight, I really don’t want to
experience the abridged versions. The first release under this banner was Superman: Doomsday, a truncated reworking
of the Death of Superman arc. The
execution was pretty sloppy and what could have been Part 1 of an animated
trilogy, instead resulted in a stripped down version that didn’t do the story
justice and left fans wanting.
What I’m getting at
is if a comic storyline can’t be adapted into the strict 75 minute limit that
is imposed on these movies without making major sacrifices, come up with
something new that does work within that timeframe. How about it WB?
Having said that, I’m
looking forward to the upcoming release of Batman:
Assault on Arkham this summer, which tells an original tale set in the world of the Arkham video games and I will revisit this
list at that time to see where it slots in. Until then…
How do my rankings
compare to yours? Am I totally off base and you would have liked to see
something ranked higher on the list? Let me know!
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